RET Site: Engineering and Data Analytics in Smart Cities

田纳西大学查塔努加分校（UTC）的教师研究经验（RET）网站专注于智能城市的数据分析，并利用查塔努加市作为城市更新和智能城市设计的先驱的出现。查塔努加是国际公认的最具创新性的美国智慧城市之一，部分原因是联合技术公司和查塔努加当地拥有的配电和通信提供商电力委员会的贡献，该公司已为超过18万户家庭和企业部署了10Gbps的互联网服务，从而实现了更有效的交通系统；提高能源效率；智慧城市发展。该项目的新颖之处在于，它利用了几个选定的汉密尔顿县以职业为主题的未来准备研究所（fri），为在这些研究所任教的30名高中STEM教育工作者（10人/年）提供智慧城市发展的真实研究经验。每年夏天，参与者与来自不同学科的研究导师一起工作6周，他们正在开展以智能城市为重点的项目：电动汽车充电、绿色电机、无人机、土地使用管理、电力消耗和路面设计。智慧城市的创新对基础设施、交通、制造业和社区健康产生了重大影响。参与者将使用STEM标准，这些标准体现在他们的研究经验背后的工程基础中，并将其嵌入到基于项目的学习（PBL）模块的设计中，使学生能够研究工程师的潜在职业以及他们对城市和地区的影响。通过行业伙伴关系、包括工程妇女协会（SWE）和全国黑人工程师协会（NSBE）分会在内的学生组织的参与，以及通过网络、出版物和专题讨论会向更广泛的受众传播研究结果，该项目在促进科学和培养合格和多样化的未来工程师和科学家方面的交付和衍生效益得到了加强。该项目的目标包括：(1)提高高中教师的研究技能和与智慧城市设计和开发相关的工程原理的实践知识。(2)为教师提供基于项目的学习（PBL）设计和实施的相关技能和知识。(3)建立一个管道，增加准备充分的高中生的数量，这些学生可能会进入与STEM相关的大学学科。(4)扩大弱势群体在与智慧城市相关的基础学科中的STEM参与。RET参与者将开发9周的PBL模块，这些模块将基于巴克教育研究所为教师设计的七个PBL设计原则。专业发展将为教师提供参加STEM教育最佳实践、国家标准、PBL和工程设计/批判性思维指导的会议和培训课程的机会。在学年期间，项目团队将访问课堂，以便为实施提供反馈和支持。参与者开发的PBL课程模块将侧重于将他们的研究经验与各自的FRI主题和年级水平的STEM概念结合起来，以满足与他们的课程相关的高中标准。这些PBL模块将向学生展示工程师的真实工作，同时教育他们在当前课程中取得成功所需的STEM基础知识。通过整个FRI系统的持续专业发展，每位FRI教师都有机会向其他教师学习，并成为课程传播的一部分。与当地和区域行业的更多参与将使fri进一步利用这些伙伴关系，为学生提供更多的校园参观、虚拟讨论和课堂体验。RET网站还将促进和加强联合技术公司、汉密尔顿县学校和行业合作伙伴之间的长期伙伴关系，并有一个具体的目标，即接触到代表性不足的少数民族。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is focused on data analytics in smart cities and harnesses the city of Chattanooga's emergence as a pioneer in urban renewal and smart city design. Chattanooga is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative smart US cities, partly because of the contributions of UTC and Chattanooga's locally owned electric distribution and communication provider, Electric Power Board, which has deployed 10Gbps Internet service to over 180,000 households and businesses, allowing for more effective transportation systems; improved energy efficiency; and smart urban development. The project is novel in leveraging several select Hamilton County career-themed Future Ready Institutes (FRIs) to provide authentic research experiences in smart city development for 30 high school STEM educators (10/year) who teach in these FRIs. For 6 weeks each summer, participants work with research mentors from varied disciplines who are conducting smart-cities focused projects: electric vehicle charging, green motors, drones, land use management, power consumption, and pavement design. Smart city innovations have a significant impact on infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and the health of their communities. Participants will work with the STEM standards that are exemplified in the engineering fundamentals underlying their research experiences and embed them into the design of Project-Based Learning (PBL) modules allowing students to look into potential careers as engineers and the impact they could make on their city and region. The project's delivery and derived benefits in the promotion of science and feeding the pipeline of qualified and diverse future engineers and scientists are enhanced through industry partnerships, involvement of student organizations including chapters of the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and dissemination of findings to a wider audience via the web, publications and symposiums participation.The objectives of the project include: (1) Increase high school teachers' research skills and practical knowledge of engineering principles related to smart city design and development. (2) Provide teachers with relevant skills and knowledge on Project-Based Learning (PBL) design and implementation. (3) Create a pipeline that will result in increased numbers of well-prepared high school students that will potentially feed into STEM related college disciplines. (4) Broaden underrepresented groups' STEM participation in underlying disciplines related to smart cities. RET participants will develop 9-week PBL modules that will be designed based on the Buck Institute for Education's seven PBL design principles for instructors. Professional development will provide opportunities for teachers to attend conferences and training sessions focused on STEM education best practices, national standards, PBL, and engineering design/critical thinking instruction. During the academic year, the project team will visit the classroom in order to provide feedback and support for implementation. The PBL curriculum modules developed by participants will focus on incorporating their research experience with their respective FRI theme and grade-level STEM concepts to meet the high school standards associated with their courses. These PBL modules will demonstrate for students the real work of engineers while educating them on the STEM fundamentals required to succeed in their current coursework. Through ongoing professional development that takes place across the entire FRI system, each FRI teacher will have the opportunity to learn from teacher participants and be a part of the curriculum's dissemination. Increased participation with local and regional industry will allow the FRIs to further leverage these partnerships, allowing for more on-campus visits, virtual discussions, and in-class experiences for students. The RET Site will also foster and strengthen a long-term partnership between UTC, Hamilton County Schools, and industry partners and has a specific target on reaching underrepresented minorities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.